Al-Hakim in Riyadh...Sadr Calls for Public Dialogue

Deputy Foreign Minister Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji receives the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah yesterday (SPA)
Deputy Foreign Minister Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji receives the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah yesterday (SPA)
TT

Al-Hakim in Riyadh...Sadr Calls for Public Dialogue

Deputy Foreign Minister Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji receives the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah yesterday (SPA)
Deputy Foreign Minister Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji receives the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah yesterday (SPA)

Well-informed Iraqi sources expressed their optimism about the visit made by the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, to Saudi Arabia and considered it a positive sign for Baghdad.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said that Al-Hakim’s trip to the Kingdom was of great importance at the level of bilateral relations as well as Iraq’s relationship with its Arab surroundings.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji received on Thursday the leader of the Wisdom Movement at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

The reception was attended by the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Iraq, Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch in the Makkah region, Mazen Al-Hamali, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom, Dr. Abdul Sattar Hadi Al-Janabi.

In this context, Professor of International Media at the Iraqi University, Dr. Fadel Al-Badrani, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the visit highlighted the new orientation of the Shiite political forces towards the Arab axis, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He described the talks with the Saudi leadership as a good turn in Iraq’s relations with the Arabs, following nearly two decades of rupture.

“Openness to the Arab environment gives Iraq an opportunity to advance its Arab role,” Al-Badrani added.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, thanked Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for his initiative to hold a national dialogue.

However, he noted that the outcome of the dialogue failed to resolve the problems faced by Iraq.

Saleh Muhammad Al-Iraqi, who is known as “Al-Sadr minister”, published a tweet, criticizing the outcome of what he called the “secret dialogue” and saying that the session resulted in only some points that failed to meet the aspirations of the Iraqi people.

Despite Al-Sadr’s harsh criticism of the outcomes of the dialogue, he did not reject its final statement, which calls on holding early elections.



Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
TT

Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)

Israel plans to maintain areas of “control” (occupation) and “influence” (intelligence) in Syrian territory, according to a new operational concept that security officials developed for the new reality in Syria that emerged following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Senior officials in Israel said that the country would need to maintain a 15 km operational perimeter within Syrian territory, where the Israeli army would maintain a presence to ensure that allies of the new regime couldn’t launch missiles toward the Golan Heights, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
They also noted the necessity of a “sphere of influence” extending 60 km into Syria, under Israeli intelligence control, to monitor and prevent potential threats from developing.
The new operational concept came a few days after Israeli officials confirmed that their forces will not withdraw from the border buffer zone and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Last week, the Kan public broadcaster said in an unsourced report that the new Syrian leadership has asked the US to pressure Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone.
Israeli officials told Kan that they have received no official request on the matter, adding that the Israeli army’s presence at and across the border is necessary to protect its security.
Last month, just hours after factions of the Syrian opposition swept president Bashar al-Assad from power, Israel captured the buffer zone, which was created following the Yom Kippur War of 1967. They also seized the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
During a visit to Mount Hermon last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his troops would remain stationed inside Syria “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel’s security.”
Also, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks across Syria, saying the strikes were aimed at keeping military weapons away from extremists.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli official said that while Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, had sent messages to Israel claiming that his forces weren’t seeking conflict, Israel remained skeptical. “This might hold true for a year, two years, maybe even 10 or 20”, he said.
“But no one can guarantee that eventually, they won’t turn against us – and these are highly dangerous people. (Ahmed) Al-Sharaa’s current goal is to lift sanctions on Syria to bring in foreign funds. But in the long run, Israel must maintain a control zone and a sphere of influence in Syria,” the official said.
He also expressed hope that Israel would receive full backing against threats from Syria and Lebanon after the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
“In the meantime, we’ll have to remain there, ensuring a 15-km missile-free zone under our control, as well as a 60-km sphere of influence, to prevent threats from developing. We’re building an operational concept for this new reality,” he said.
Israel was also concerned about the potential entrenchment of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Syria, seemingly ignored by al-Sharaa, according to the newspaper.
“We won’t allow their establishment in Syria just as we prevented Iran’s foothold there,” the official said.
“We estimate that al-Sharaa prefers to keep them there so they can act against Israel, giving him plausible deniability,” he added.
These remarks came while Israeli officials were reportedly astounded by what they described as the West's “blindness” toward the regime of Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.